Referee David Coote has been suspended with immediate effect pending an investigation after a video was posted on social media appearing to show him using highly offensive language about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
It is unclear when the video was made or how it came into circulation, and it has not been verified but it is understood Professional Game Match Officials Limited is treating it as genuine.
In the video, Coote is asked for his views on a Liverpool match where he has just been fourth official, and describes them as "s***".
He then uses an offensive term to describe Klopp, calling him a "German c***" and, asked why he felt that way about the manager, Coote says he had "a right pop at me when I reffed them against Burnley in lockdown" and "accused me of lying".
"I have got no interest in speaking to someone who's f****** arrogant, so I do my best not to speak to him," Coote says.
Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) said in a statement: "David Coote has been suspended with immediate effect pending a full investigation. PGMOL will be making no further comment until that process is complete."
Klopp left Liverpool in the summer after almost a decade in charge.
Coote was the official for the Reds' most recent Premier League game – a 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday night.
It is understood Liverpool are aware of the video but in light of an investigation being launched do not feel it would be appropriate to comment. Klopp’s representatives have been contacted or comment.
Klopp was critical that Coote, as VAR, had failed to award Liverpool a penalty in a match against Arsenal last season when Gunners midfielder Martin Odegaard’s hand made contact with the ball.
Coote judged that Odegaard handled the ball as he sought to maintain his balance and did not advise on-field official Chris Kavanagh to review the incident.
Klopp said after the match: "I am pretty sure someone will come to explain it to me why it was not a handball but I don’t know how?
"I don’t say that the ref can see it because I don’t know where he was in that moment.
"But how can a guy in an office see that and not come to the conclusion that maybe, possibly, it could be worth the referee having another look?"
Coote was also the VAR in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park in October 2020 when Toffees goalkeeper Jordan Pickford inflicted a season-ending injury on Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk.
Pickford was not sent off for the challenge and did not face retrospective action because, under Football Association rules, that can only happen if an incident was not seen either at the time or when it was reviewed by VAR.
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